LAGRANGE, Ga. (Interstat) — LaGrange will open its men’s NCAA Division III basketball season Saturday against Brevard at Mariotti Gymnasium. The Panthers are the home team for the matchup, while the Tornados are the visiting team. Both teams enter the game with 0-0 records.

LaGrange will seek a strong start on its home court after its most recent previous result was a 92-73 loss at Belhaven. The Panthers will face a Brevard team whose most recent previous result was an 86-77 home loss to North Carolina Wesleyan. Brevard will make the trip to Georgia looking to begin the new campaign with a road win.

Mariotti Gymnasium will host the contest in LaGrange. The game gives both programs an early opportunity to establish rhythm, test rotations and build chemistry before the schedule deepens. LaGrange and Brevard are also scheduled to meet again later in the schedule when the Panthers visit the Tornados. The Panthers will aim to use their home setting to set an early tone, while the Tornados will focus on managing the travel and executing in the half court.

Brevard’s schedule continues with a trip to Warren Wilson, followed by a visit to JWU Charlotte and a home game against Bob Jones. The Tornados also are set to visit Lees-McRae and Covenant, and they will be the home team against LaGrange, Warren Wilson, Huntingdon and Piedmont. LaGrange’s upcoming slate includes a trip to Berry, followed by games against Baptist University (Fla.), Oglethorpe and Lynchburg. The Panthers also will face Baptist University (Fla.) again, visit Brevard, and host Toccoa Falls, Pensacola Christian, East Texas Baptist and Alice Lloyd.

Both teams will look to establish momentum in the early portion of the season. Brevard will try to turn its road trip into a productive start, while LaGrange will seek to protect its home floor and open with a consistent effort on both ends. The matchup offers each side a chance to set a tone before moving deeper into nonconference and regional play. The Panthers will seek to control the tempo and make the most of their home surroundings, while the Tornados will aim to stay composed and limit empty possessions. Both teams will value a clean start as they begin the new season and look to carry positive habits into the games that follow. The contest also gives each roster a chance to settle into game conditions and evaluate combinations in a competitive setting.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of LaGrange 77, Brevard 72. Interstat’s ELO system gives LaGrange a 63.3 percent probability to win. The projection places the Panthers as the favorite in the home matchup.